


Sketchbook

by Semerra



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Art Student Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Lance is kind of a mess at first, M/M, Soccer player Lance, lance/keith - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semerra/pseuds/Semerra
Summary: After finding a sketchbook filled with amazing drawings laying on the sidewalk by the soccer fields, Lance is determined to find its owner.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 165





	Sketchbook

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me, for I am suffering from major writers block on The Angel Project. I like 75% of the next chapter done, but I'm stuck on where to take the plot. So to give myself a break, I present to you a semi-lengthy one shot that I did while I should have been working. Also because this will just be a one shot, I'm sorry if it seems a little rushed! 
> 
> As always, please leave any feedback and let me know what you think!
> 
> Unlike The Angel Project, this is just a college AU. No A/B/O dynamics or anything, just two boys who are to flippin' awkward around each other. The only reason I made this Teen is because of the language I used.

When Lance exited the field, he only had 3 things on his mind - to go back to his room and take a shower, eat an entire pizza, and pass out early enough to get decent sleep before his Physics lecture in the morning. The muscles in his legs screamed at him with every step, sore from the seemingly never ending amount of drills that Adam wanted to put everyone through today. He reached down slightly to rub at the muscles in his thigh, hoping to alleviate some of the strain and make his short walk a little less painful. Sighing, Lance straightened back up again, training his eyes on the sidewalk in front of him. He slowed slightly when he noticed a medium sized book laying in the middle of the path.

Raising an eyebrow, he walked toward the book before stopping and reaching forward to pick it up. It was thick with a cloth cover, the front also covered in random pen doodles ranging from flowers, to cartoon animals, to a very detailed picture of some kind of samurai. Turning to the side, the spine was worn and cracked with use, showing the use the owner must have gotten out of it. Must be someones text book or something...? Maybe there's a name inside?

He flipped open the book, the pages used to being opened to a certain spot, opening to a mostly blank page except for a few smudges here and there. Lance flipped back one more page and was met with the piercing ice colored eyes of a blue maned wolf. He could feel his mouth drop open at the large amount of detail; the picture almost gave off an aura of hostility and pride and it actually sent chills up Lance's spine. He scanned the page for some kind of signature and found a small K.K in the lower right corner before flipping some kind of wax paper barrier that must block the pages from rubbing together, and found the picture underneath...a little different.

Is that...some kind of worm? In space??

The drawing was much more cartoonist than the wolf, but the different lighting and shading the person used made it look almost 3D. Whoever owned the book was extremely talented, and even Lance, who knew absolutely nothing about art, was impressed by what he was seeing. He flipped through a few more pages before stopping at a rough sketch of what looked like the school grounds, or rather the soccer field to be more exact. Lance could make out the goal and the bleachers, there were even a few players drawn on the field and Lance couldn't help but try and identify who was who and what kinda of play they had been running when the person had been drawing this. That's gotta be Rolo, and that's gotta be Hunter. So if they're there then...that's me!

The picture showed the outline of a player in mid-pass and Lance couldn't help but smile at the picture before he looked up and tried to find the angle that the person must have been sitting at to draw. If they got they goal at that angle they must have been toward the south end of the grounds, so that would mean...

Lance turned to the south and scanned the area before noticing a group of students sitting under the shade of a large tree. That would make sense. A bunch of students sit there to study or do whatever other departments do, maybe some art student was there earlier and dropped it as they were leaving. Lance shrugged to himself and continued to flip through the drawings, silently praising the artists ability and variety. Unfortunately however, as Lance closed the book, he was none closer to figuring out who it belonged to; his only clue was the K.K clearly marked in every corner. He tucked the book under his arm, deciding to take it with him and ask some of his friends if they knew anyone in the art department with those initials. He would rather the book be protected than outdoors and get torn up anymore than it already was. And the artist would probably prefer that their hard work doesn't get ruined. As he passed the end of the soccer complex and stopped at the cross walk, his mind couldn't help but wonder again to the book and the person who owned it. They're style was really cool, and the fact that they could go from drawing something like that wolf to something floral and soft was amazing. Lance felt himself smile and pulled the book closer to his side.

The next day at practice, Lance found himself looking over to the tree more than once, fully expecting (or hoping) to see someone sitting there sketching away. But unfortunately as Adam blew his whistle for a fifteen minute break, no one had yet to take their place under the shade. Lance could feel himself deflate a little as time passed.

"Dude, you good? You look a little bummed."

Lance turned to see Pidge sitting on the bleachers, short legs stretched out in front of her and a laptop resting on the metal surface next to her. Her eyes were turned slightly downward in concern and her hand were stilled mid-page turn of the text book in her lap. Pidge had been Lance's friend for a few years now, and he was slightly numb to seeing a fifteen year old carrying bachelor degree level text books, but her being in the sports section of the school was completely new.

"Yeah, I'm good. However, what about you? You're near the field. Are you sick? You never come within a thousand feet of any of the sports buildings!"

She pointed a finger at him suddenly, "I came so you could make good on our bet!"

Lance blinked and gave the small girl a very confused look, "What bet?"

She crossed her arms as a smug look came across her features, "Remember that we made a bet about Hunk asking Shay out? And you said he wouldn't do it without spewing chunks?"

The tan man thought back to a few days ago, when their other friend Hunk had expressed that he was finally going to ask out the girl in his bio chem lab that he had been pining after for months. Pidge had stated that she thought he would stumble over his words a bit but be fine none the less. Lance however, thought his best friend would become so nervous he would be sick. Lance nodded at the memory and rest his hand on his hip, "Yeah, and?"

Pidge smiled mischievously and radiated an almost evil aura, "Well, he asked her during break, and quite successfully might I add! Forgot how to breathe at one point but after that, flawless."

Lance smiled and felt a small laugh bubble out of his chest, "It's about time. He's been talking about her for years it feels like. I feel like a proud parent whose watching their baby grow up." He wiped away an invisible tear for effect. Pidge rolled her eyes but smiled anyways, "Yeah yeah, we're all proud of him. Now remember the bet??"

Lance looked down at Pidge, his turn to roll his eyes, "You were serious about that?"

"Deadly. Plus it was mainly Hunks idea and you know I love to watch you squirm. You gotta walk up to a person of my choice and completely speak to them in Spanish, and if they walk away you have to follow them until you literally have them running. Be annoying as you possibly can."

Lance felt a sweat break out across his forehead and he sighed, "You realize that this could possibly get me arrested for harassment or something right?"

The small girl only nodded and smiled, her eyes beginning to scan the area around the soccer field for a poor unfortunate soul.

"Pidge at least wait until I'm done with practice. I don't need Adam killing me because I'm having an internal war about scarring some poor bystander and get kicked in the face."

She just smiled again and gave an evil laugh before returning her attention to her book and probably plotting his demise. The sound of a whistle was the only thing that pulled Lance back into the mood, his body instinctively turning and running back to the field.

"Okay Mr. Suave. Let's see if your Spanish can charm the wits outta anyone like you claim it can."

Lance crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the small girl. Forty-five minutes later and Pidge still hadn't forgotten about this, not that anyone thought she would, but one can hope to save themselves from this form of embarrassment, "Can't we just mess with someone we already know? Like I speak Spanish to the entire team or something? They always get annoyed when I start singing La Cope de la Vida!"

"Cup of Life, Lance. Just say Cup of Life." 

"See! Proof right there!"

Pidge just rolled her eyes again and began to scan the other students walking about while Lance stood, his duffel bag slung across his body and hanging heavily off his shoulder, impatience already brewing across his features. Pidge will either pick some hermit who will have a anxiety attack just from him walking up, or some total babe that will be swooned by the pure charm Lance exudes when he wants to, "Ah! There, over under the big tree."

Lance perked up instantly and swung his head to look in the direction Pidge was motioning to. Sure enough, under the tree he had been paying attention to all day (except the last ten minutes), sat a young man around Lances age with dark hair and his legs pulled up, covered in black skinny jeans with holes in the knees. He was focused on something in his lap, but whatever he was doing was obstructed from view. Lance raised an eyebrow and looked back down at Pidge for a moment, who only stared back at him with a shit eating grin. Sighing, Lance tugged the strap of his bag closer to his chest, "Just random sentences?"

The small girl only nodded and gave a quick chuckle, and If Lance knew any better, he would have noticed that she seemed a little to giddy about this. That she chose a person a lot quicker than Lance would have thought. But he was only focused on getting this over with and not getting arrested. He took a few steps forward before stopping once more to look back at his friend with a pleading look. She only made a 'shoo"ing motion with her hand and he internally groaned, knowing that there was no getting out of this. He walked slowly around to the exit of the complex and crossed the short distance to the grass laid court yard. Some students looked up at him as he passed, a few even waved, but no one paid much attention to the Cuban boy. As he approached the tree, Lance could make out a few more features about the man Pidge had selected. He wore a red and black acid wash hoodie, and his black hair was pulled back into a small pony tail with short strands falling out to frame a focused face. The angle also helped to see what he was doing in his lap - a medium sized canvas was resting on his legs, black smudges littering the surface. He walked slightly behind him and saw that the smudges made a lion, jaws open in a mighty roar and mane waving in invisible wind. 

"Oh man, that's awesome..."

The words escaped before Lance could stop them, and unfortunately, the other man heard the comment and jumped slightly, swinging around to look directly at Lance. All air stilled in his lungs as violet eyes stared at him in confusion and a light pink dusted his cheeks. Lance instantly jumped back and held his hands up, "I'm so sorry! I didn-" Lance looked up quickly to see Pidge leaning on the fencing surrounding the complex; close enough to where she would be able to hear every word said between the two. Letting out a shaky breath, Lance looked back down at the other man, who was still looking him up and down with those beautiful eyes. Beautiful eyes? Really Lance?

"Lamento eso. No quise asustarte..." (I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.)

The Spanish rolled off his tongue without hesitation, and the other man just stared at him with raised eyebrows and a shocked expression that was slowly morphing into one of annoyance. Oh gods this is cringy as fuck. He took another quick glance at Pidge, who only stood with a smirk. Lance sighed and shook his head toward the younger before looking back down at the other male, "Sorry man, I didn't mean to freak you out. My friend bet me to come over here and speak nothing but Spanish, but the look on your face tells me that if I keep doing that I'm probably gonna get punched. And I don't exactly feel like getting decked so..."

The man blinked and looked Lance up and down, sighing before going back to his canvas, "It's uh, all good. I wasn't gonna punch you."

Lance nodded and the air around them was filled with awkward tension. He still stood next to the boy and watched as he continued to work on the lion drawing, making each line without a second thought and blending with his finger occasionally. Lance studied the boy for another moment.

"Um, do you mind?"

The boys voice broke Lance away from his head and he looked at the boys face, again pulled into a look of annoyance, "Oh uh, sorry. I just really like your drawing."

The blacked haired boy blinked, looking down at his canvas and then back at Lance, "Uh...thank you?"

Lance nodded, "You're really talented. I'm assuming you're an art student?"

The other man just snorted slightly and returned to pulling the charcoal across the canvas, "What was you're first clue?" His eyes flicked to Lance for a moment, "And you? I'm guessing some kind of athletics major by your clothes."

Glancing down at his uniform, Lance chuckled, "Astronomy actually. I just play on the schools soccer team."

The other boy froze, his attention drawn to Lance in an instant, "Astronomy??"

Lance smirked and swung his bag from around his shoulder and set it on the ground before lowing himself and sitting next to the boy, "Yup, in my last year of my Bachelors."

"I don't remember inviting you to sit down?"

"My legs hurt from practice, and it seems like we were starting to have an conversation so why not?"

Lance sent a small smirk the boys way and noted the light blush that appeared across the bridge of his nose. The other quickly turned his head away and made an angry line within the mane of the lion. Lance let out a small chuckle and looked to where Pidge had been standing, only to find that the girl was no longer there.

"My name is Lance, by the way. Lance McClain."

Hands stilled for just a moment, "...Keith. Keith Kogane."

Lance quickly looked at the boy and stared at him dumbfoundedly. He turned to his bag and quickly began digging through it's contents, searching. Keith gave him a confused look before shrugging slightly and returning to his work. Lance felt his finger tips brush against the rough cover of the sketchbook and he withdrew it from the bag. 

"Uh Keith, this might be a strange question," Keith huffed and turned back to him, obviously a little annoyed he had been stopped again from drawing, but when he caught sight of the book in Lances hand, his eyes went wide, "But this wouldn't happen to be yours would it?"

The book was instantly in Keiths hands as he held it close to his chest, "How did you get this?? Why do you have it?"

The anger swirling in purple eyes was enough to startle Lance. He rose his hands in front of him defensively, "I found it laying on the side walk yesterday on my way home. I looked at a few of the pictures and saw the K.K, so I figured it was worth asking."

Keith only sat there with the book still clutched to his chest, eyes trained on Lance but the anger was slowly fading within the violet swirls. He sighed and turned to pull open his own bag and slid the sketchbook between some other books, almost like it was being cradled so it wouldn't fall again. Lance lowered his hands, he brought one knee up and slung his arm to rest across it while the other went back to support his weight. He looked off onto the soccer field, watching as Adam ran a few of the newer players through some more drills. 

"So do you come here to draw a lot?" He heard Keith let out a quiet 'hm' as he finally was able to get back to his charcoal work, "One of the pictures that I saw was of the soccer field, so that's why I ask. It was really good!"

"I had to do a structural piece for class...and I was here and thought why not? It's technically a structure."

Lance turned his head to smirk at the man, "And the space worm? Was that for class too?"

His fingers stilled and the blush that appeared across his cheeks was about as bright as the red on his hoodie. He quickly turned his head toward Lance, and in the back of Lance's mind, he couldn't help but think that this man was absolutely adorable.

A week later, Lance started to take notice of when Keith would be under his tree, and he would find himself constantly looking over during practice to see if the raven haired male was beneath the shade. And as of late, it seemed like he always was. 

Sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest, sometimes with a large canvas, or sometimes with the sketchbook, or like today, he wasn't working on anything. He was just sat under the tree, his head lolled back and his eyes closed. From the distance Lance was, he couldn't tell if the boy was asleep or just kind of chilling. He let his eyes trail over the boys frame, smiling as he noticed the sketch book laying across his leg. A few times after Lance had gotten done with practice, he would go over and talk to Keith and ask to see some more of his pieces, but every time the boy would only blush and shake his head, coming up with some excuse as to why Lance couldn't look.

But today, as Adam dismissed everyone but the first years, he was going to sneak another look at the sketchbook and see what new drawings the boy had been working on. He quickly crossed the field and made his way toward the tree. As he got closer, he picked his knees up a bit higher and made his steps lighter, and to anyone watching he probably looked like to total weirdo, but he wanted to be as sneaky as possible.

When he got next to the boy, it became clear that he was very much asleep. His face was completely relaxed and Lance froze for just a moment to examine the way his dark lashes rested against his cheeks, and the slight part of slightly chapped lips as he took every breath. Lance had come to terms with finding Keith extremely attractive the first time he smiled at him, and he had been gone with it ever since. 

He slowly reached for the book, keeping his eyes trained on the boys face to make sure he didn't wake as Lance lifted the object. He froze mid-lift as Keith's eyes twitched slightly, but they relaxed again almost instantly and Lance let out a puff of air he hadn't realized he had been holding. He held the book up and flipped to the page with the space worm, which admittedly had become one of Lance's favorites. He turned a few more pages before stopping at a drawing he hadn't seen before and raised an eyebrow. A detailed pencil drawing of a rear male silhouette laying on his side, clothed in long robes that were loosely hanging and long hair that was sprawled against the ground. Turning another page, Lance felt his eyes grow at the sight of what must have been the same man, but this time he was sitting up with his knees tucked under him and his arms lazily laying in his lap. The robes he wore were still loose and one half was hanging off his shoulder, exposing part of his chest as well. Long hair flowed down his back - drawn in a way it almost looked like black water. 

As Lance turned the next page, a hand shot out and snatched the book away from him, making him look up and meet eyes with a very angry looking and flushed Keith, "What are you doing, Lance? I told you not to look!"

His voice was more scared than anything and clashed with the anger of his features. Lance, who still had his hands up like he was still holding the book just stared at the other man, "Keith...was that last picture of..me?"

When Lance had been turning the page, right before Keith had taken the book away, he could of sworn he saw the figure of someone kicking a soccer ball and caught just a glimpse of a guy who looked just like himself. Lance furrowed his eyebrows and turned his body more toward the art student, "Keith, was that me?"

Keith just stared at him, and as the anger slowly drained from his face, he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them tight. He tucked his face into his knees and refused to look at Lance. The tan man moved slightly so he was squatting in front of the other, and he grabbed thin wrists within his hands to try and make Keith look at him, "Keith, look at me."

All Lance saw was thick, dark hair swishing back in forth.

He sighed and pulled a little harder at the boys arms, "Keith, please? I'm not creepped out or anything."

Lance felt the arm under his grasp tense up and then relax, and slowly Keith lifted his head to look up at the other boy, "You...You're not?"

Lance smiled softly and shook his head, "No. It's actually pretty cool. No one has ever drawn me before. Are you sure I can't see?"

Keith lifted his head a lit more, a conflicted look marring his features. He looked like he was debating with himself internally. After a moment, he unfolded himself and Lance removed his grip from his arms, letting the dark haired man open the sketchbook back up to the page Lance had been on, and sure enough, there was a full body sketch of Lance in the middle of a kick. 

He felt the air escape his lungs as he looked over the drawing, somehow still in awe by Keiths skill even after seeing all of his other works. He slowly lifted a hand to attempt to turn the page, but Keith stopped him once more, "No. That one isn't finished yet."

Lance blinked and nodded, lowing the hand back down but still keeping his eyes locked on the picture.

"Hey Keith?"

"Uh, yeah?"

He looked up to meet the boys eyes, "Would you wanna get something to eat sometime?"

Again, the boys face flushed red, "W-what?"

"You heard me. Do you wanna get something to eat? Like go on a date?"

Moments passed and when the black haired man still said no words, Lance felt a small shiver run down his spine and the fear set in. Had he just fucked up? Kieth quietly mumbled something under his breath and Lance felt his ears perk, "What?"

Now bright purple eyes flicked up to meet his own, "I-I said yes...I would like that."

{3 weeks later}

"WHAT?? You knew Keith liked me and that's why you sent me over there??"

Lance stared dumbly at the small female sitting across from him before flicking his eyes between her and his boyfriend. Keith was looking anywhere but at Lance, sipping his drink and refusing to make eye contact, "Babe! Don't tell me you knew she was gonna do it!"

"Of course he didn't. We have math together and he spilled the beans about thinking 'my soccer player friend' was cute. So I took the opportunity and devised a plan. Keith knew nothing about it and quite honestly, it was luck on my part that the nerd lost his sketchbook and you happened to find it. Things do happen for a reason they say."

Lance felt his mouth open and close, and he knew he looked like a fish gasping out of water. Keith finally turned to him and gave a small laugh, "Don't freak out to much, Lance."

The Cuban boy just stared at his boyfriend and pursed his lips into a pout, "If you thought I was cute from the beginning you coulda said something..."

"And what? Been the loner art student that confessed his feelings to the jock who had no idea who he was? No thanks."

"And who's to say I wouldn't have fallen for you right there? I kinda did anyway when I first walked up to you."

Keiths face turned red and he quickly looked away from the other man, attempting to hide his face. It was Lances turn to smile as he ducked his head down to place a small kiss on the other mans cheek before whispering in his ear, "You're cute when you blush babe..."

Keith shot up and quickly brought his hands to cover his ear, turning to his boyfriend with a flushed face, "L-Lance!"

Lance laughed and brought his hand up to grab hold of the others, quickly lacing their fingers together and leaning in to place another kiss onto the other boys lips. He felt Keith gasp quietly but he slowly melted into it and began to kiss Lance back.

"Oh gag me. Please go kanoodle somewhere else, you're offending my bagel."

**Author's Note:**

> EH, I'm not sure about this one. I don't think I'm very good at writing in third person, but I gave it a shot. Let me know what you think?
> 
> And please look forward to the new update for "The Angel Project", I promise it's coming soon!


End file.
